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Digital Society
Examples of topics to be covered include:
- Digital Divide: The growing digital divide, including the rural-urban divide, the age divide, accessibility risks for people with disabilities, problems for developing countries.
- Interpersonal Relations in the Digital Society: The changing nature of interpersonal relationships in light of social networking sites (Facebook, Flickr, MySpace) and new communication means (text messaging, online-messaging). The culture and consequences of having a second life. Identity and impression management.
- Rights in the Digital Society: Freedom of expression and privacy. Civil rights in a digital society. Ownership in a digital world (e.g. rights to music, Flickr photos, YouTube videos). Cyber-crime, cyber-terrorism and cyber-bullying. Security for the digital society. Information credibility and authority in a Web2.0 world (e.g. Wikipedia).
- Impact of the Digital Society: How digital technology has changed the way we do business (e.g. Amazon, e-Bay, I-Tunes) and the way the markets work. The potential of and issues in using digital technology for Health, Education, Entertainment, Transport, Science and Governance. Digital behaviour intervention: how technology may encourage people to live more healthily and sustainably. The environmental impacts of a digital society.
The course will have an international dimension, as most topics (including digital divide, relationship, and civil rights issues) will be discussed in an international context.
Course Code
SX1009/SX1509
Year
1 (open also to year 2 students)
Semester
Semester 1 (SX1009) or Semester 2 (SX1509)
Credits
15
Teaching Hours
Lectures: one hour lecture every three weeks
Tutorials: one 2-hour tutorial every week, starting in the first week of term
Teaching & Learning Methods
The course uses problem based learning. You will work in multi-disciplinary teams to solve a problem. The course consists of four three week blocks. In each block, you work on a different problem, in a different team.
Assessment Methods
Each teaching block has its own assessment. For “the Digital Divide”, you will produce a poster. For “Interpersonal Relations in the Digital Society”, you will conduct your own research and report it in a blog. For “Rights in the Digital Society”, you will take part in a on-line debate. For “Impact of the Digitial Society”, you will produce a story (which can be a written story or for example a video). Assessments are normally done in teams, with individual marks provided based on peer-assessments of your contribution.
SX1009
Wednesdays 10.00-11.00am (Lecture)
Weeks 12, 15, 18, 21
MT1 Meston Building
(in addition, tutorial groups will be running in weeks 12-23 on Wednesdays 11-1, Thursdays 11-1 and 3-5, and Fridays 10-12)
SX1509
Wednesdays 10.00-11.00 (Lecture)
Weeks 30, 33, 36, 42
MT4 Meston Building
(in addition, tutorial groups will be running in weeks 30-37 and 41-44 on Wednesdays 11-1, Thursdays 3-5 and Fridays 11-1)
Dr Judith Masthoff
Dr Masthoff is a senior lecturer in the Department of Computing Science and is also the current Director of the Graduate School for the College of Physical Sciences. Her research is focussed round the central question of how a computer system (e.g., Website, Interactive Television, Mobile Phone, X-Ray machine) can best adapt to the needs of the user.
